NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITYEDUCATION IN THE CHILD CARE SETTING

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CREATING YOUR OWN CURRICULUM

Integrate nutrition and physical activity into daily activities and lesson plans Small changes = beneficial

Assess your program

Implement policies on nutrition educationand/or physical activity

Ensure that all program meals meet CACFP guidelines and are appealing to children

Provide education on healthy eating and physical activity concepts to: Children Parents Caregivers Providers

Make connections with community wellness activities

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CREATING YOUR OWN CURRICULUM

Utilize Resources

Healthy Bites A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood Nutrition

Active Early A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood Physical

Activity

http://fns.dpi.wi.gov/fns_cacfpwellnesswhy

See resource list for additional curriculums3

REMEMBER!

All children are capable and competent

Early relationships matter

Learning and development Multidimensional Various rates Through play and active exploration

Range of skills and competencies 4

F.I.B. APPROACH

Fun Engage as well as educate Children more apt to listen and

retain information

Integrated Into other learning activities Link nutrition and physical activity to the home

environment

Behavioral Real experiences with food Real-life, reachable goal 5

REACH OUT TO PARENTS

Newsletters/Fliers For ideas refer to Nibbles for Health

http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/resources/nibbles.html

Center Displays

Email list or Website

Health Council

Send home a list of Healthy snacks Ideas for physical activity

Provide menus with tips on physical activity and eating healthy on back

At parent nights or open house nights serve healthy snacks

Invite parents to come Eat lunch with their child Participate in different activities

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TOP WAYS TO GET KIDS INVOLVED IN HEALTHY COOKING

How can kids help?Mean Green Cleaning Machine

Let children wash fruits and vegetables when preparing for cooking or eating

Pick a Peck! When shopping, let them select a new fruit or vegetable to try…or several!

Make it Snappy! Let them snap green beans, snap peas, or break flowerets from broccoli or cauliflower

Tear it Up! Let them tear the lettuce for salads and sandwiches

Measure Up! Let them measure frozen vegetables before cooking

Peel & Slice Older children can peel and slice carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, etc.

A Sprinkle a Day Let them sprinkle herbs or other seasonings onto vegetables

Monster Mash! Pull out the potato masher!

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Nutrition Education

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Serve foods in a simple form

Sit with children and eat the same foods

Express enjoyment of foods

Offer new foods several times per month

Be patient

Serve foods that are easy to handle and chew

Encouraging children to eat healthy foods

PRACTICE TIP

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Formal Nutrition Education

When? Circle time activity

Incorporate into daily schedule Alphabet activities Art activities Games

Teach how to identify foods by talking about Where it comes from It’s color How it promotes healthy bodies

Read a book with positive nutrition messages Before or after meals

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Activity Break

Pick and Pull

PRACTICE TIP

Informal Nutrition Education

When? During meal times or free play

Investigate foods during meal times Textures Colors Sizes Tastes Smells Shapes

Teach children about appropriate portion sizes through family style dining

Include healthy food models in the dramatic play area12

GARDENING WITH CHILDREN

Involve children in Growing Purchasing Preparing Serving

Ideas Start a garden at your center Participate in a community garden Share in a gardening experience at a nearby child

care site Why?

Helps children learn where food comes from. When taking part in the entire process, children learn

to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into their diets.

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GARDENING WITH CHILDREN How?

Contact your local UW Extension office www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/

Create ownership By Involving children and staff in all stages of the gardening process

Incorporate a garden curriculum:

Got Dirt? Garden Toolkit Find gardening tips, e.g.: Seeds & tools needed Garden timeline Wisconsin gardening examples View and download at

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/physical-activity/foodsystem/gotdirt.htm

Got Veggies? Garden-based nutrition education: Learn about nutrition in the garden Seven full lesson plans Garden recipes View and download at

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/physical-activity/foodsystem/gotveggies.htm

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PRACTICE TIP Pleasant and Positive reactions towards

healthy foods Facial expressions Verbal responses Body language

Serve foods in an attractive manner

Read stories and plan activities

Ask children who like newly introduced foods to explain why they like it

Respond to negative comments in a positive manner 15

GOALS OF NUTRITION EDUCATION

Form positive attitudes

Learn to accept a wide variety of foods

Establish healthful eating habits

Learn to share and socialize at meal time

Be ready to continue learning16

Physical Activity

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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Important for healthy growth and development

Teach the health benefits of physical activity

Teach in a manner appropriate to age level

Remember it is for everyone

Reinforce through a child’s innate desire to move

Should be fun!

How much? (For age-specific recommendations refer to handout) Total of 60 minutes each day minimum

Aim for 1-2 hours each day

2-3 active times per day

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Activity Break

Shapes

INFANT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

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Remember infants need activity too!

Get down on the floor to help infants Increase body awareness Build strength and

coordination Learn valuable social

skills with peers Explore their

environment Develop motor skills

Avoid overusing baby equipment

Tummy Time What

Supervised free play on their bellies in open and safe places

While infant is awake and alert

When Several times throughout the day

Where On a solid surface on the floor

Why Encourages infant to

See Touch Feel Move

Place favorite toys just out of reach Strengthens

Neck Shoulders

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Daily supervised outdoor play Offer every day when the weather permits For every hour spent in a quiet activity (i.e.

reading), ten minutes or more should be spent in activities that involve active movement

Plan and organize

Active, noncompetitive games (handout)

Owls and Mice Foxes and Rabbits Kicking and Throwing Station Activities

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OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

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Running Walking Jumping Hopping Climbing Riding tricycles Playing catch Skipping Playing tag Sledding Frisbee Jump Rope

Playing on an obstacle course

Doing gymnastics

Taking hikes as a group

Building something from sand or snow

Collecting items such as leaves, nuts, and stones for an art project

Clean up an area with brooms or snow shovels

ACTIVE INSIDE PLAY

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Music

Movement

Balancing

Hopping

Running

Crawling

Dancing

Yoga

ACTIVE INSIDE PLAY

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Large-motor play bins

Throwing and Catching

Lightweight items

Scarves: colorful nylon, bandanas, any piece of light fabric

Streamers: two- to three-foot-long strips of wide ribbon

Shakers: small plastic containers filled with dried beans or rice

Parachute: sheet

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Activity Break

The Count Counts Moves

ACTIVE INSIDE PLAY

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Small plastic hoops Uses:

Stand inside Spin Pull over bodies Throw soft items into

or through Run, jump, march, or

hop from one hoop to another

Home-made balls Clean white cotton adult tube

socks rolled into balls Scrunch paper or tissue into

balls Uses:

Throw through plastic hoops Catch Play a pretend snowball-

throwing game

Coordination and Body-Space Awareness

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Activity Break

Stand Up, Sit Down

ACTIVE INSIDE PLAY Non-competitive relay race

Keep it simple Small groups of two or four Example:

Children move across the classroom balancing a beanbag or another item on a spoon without dropping it.

Tunnel Provide a cloth, spring-supported tunnel Allow children to crawl through or play games in

Example: children can pretend to be moles crawling into a hole. Teachers can call the children’s names as they crawl out

or guess which child will come out next 28

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Activity Break

Moving with

Limitations

Available to download for free at: http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/health/healthyh

abits/ http://kidshealth.org/classroom/index.jsp?Grade=cc&Sectio

n=hhfl Clip from Sesame Street:

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/health/healthyhabits/

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QUESTIONS

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